


Love looks not with the eyes

by Monna99



Category: Naruto
Genre: Kakashi is a creeper, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 00:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18304889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monna99/pseuds/Monna99
Summary: He’s glad Kurenai had opted to head straight back to her apartment after reporting to the Hokage. She insisted sometimes on spending time with him. According to Asuma, she thinks Kakashi is keeping too much bottled up, that he isn’t dealing with the things he sees or the things he does on missions.





	Love looks not with the eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I do love creepy/inappropriate Kakashi.

He stretches out his tired legs along the limb of the tree, its rough bark familiar under his fingers. He’d found this spot last spring on a dreary, overcast day after getting back from a mission that had gone south, not unlike now. 

That day, he’d reported to the Hokage, then wandered aimlessly around the village for some time. He has no idea how long, only that it had been light when he’d left the Hokage’s office and dark had been on the horizon when he’d heard the warm tone, the easy laugh that had pulled him from grim thoughts. He hadn’t immediately put a face to the voice. It had simply sounded … welcoming. And in that moment he’d become aware of just how cold he was, chilled all the way through. He’d vaulted the nearby fence and waited. The voice had been getting closer, walking east with an unhurried, easy gait. He could hear the soft footfall of steps nearing and he was vaguely curious to see the owner of that kind tone. When Umino had rounded the corner, Kakashi had shifted back into the shadows in surprise. 

The chuunin had continued talking, not noticing when he drew abreast of Kakashi, smiling and chatting amicably with another shinobi.

That had been the first time. 

Kakashi stifles a yawn against his shoulder. He’s glad Kurenai had opted to head straight back to her apartment after reporting to the Hokage. She insisted sometimes on spending time with him. According to Asuma, she thinks Kakashi is keeping too much bottled up, that he isn’t dealing with the things he sees or the things he does on missions. She’s wrong. He’s coping just fine. But he doesn’t need her to know what he’s getting up to now. She’s bound to misinterpret his actions. 

He glances down on hearing the soft shuffle of steps, but he knows without needing to look that it isn’t who he wants. The couple walks on, unperturbed and unsuspecting that someone is observing them from the tree overhead.

Of course they don’t see him. His spot is high enough in a close copse of maple trees that he won’t be glimpsed from below, yet low enough that he has a nearly direct view into the second story apartment. And he’s arrived just in time - something his students would never believe. The late afternoon sun is vanishing behind the mountains to the west. The apartment is dark now, but he knows it won’t be for long. He’d spotted the other man just down the street. 

He only has to wait ten more minutes before the door to opens. Kakashi watches as it swings outwards, watches a hand reach in and flick the switch. The apartment floods with light and Iruka steps inside. He’s juggling several bags and turns to wave in the man behind him. Kakashi shoves away the unpleasant twinge that gives him and focuses, as he always does, on Iruka. 

He watches as the chuunin smirks at the man while he pauses to remove his shoes at the genkan. The mood is light, Iruka’s lips curved, eyes shining in laughter and something tight and hurt and savage in Kakashi eases, calms. The emotion unspools slowly, something fell and rankling within him stills as though in surprise. He finds his lips curving in mirror to the other man’s obvious and uncomplicated joy. Well, maybe that isn’t fair. Iruka is a shinobi, of course his life is complicated. He’d lost both of his parents during the Kyuubi attack all those years ago, Kakashi knows. If anything, that makes him more of an enigma. His capacity to care for others seems undiminished by tragedy. He can still smile, can still bear to look for love, and it's become a siren song to Kakashi. He’s found himself drawn back here again and again. He doesn’t keep watch over Iruka all day, every day. Of course not, he’s not a stalker. He doesn’t even do it once a week or once a month, just sometimes, like now, after returning from a mission in which he’s seen things he wants to forget, in which he’s done things that would make Iruka turn away from him in disgust if he knew. Iruka may be a shinobi, but he’s innocent for all that. Kakashi would never expose him to that ugliness. Or maybe that’s simply his own self-centeredness at work. He doesn’t want his view of Iruka tarnished. He needs Iruka to be just as good, just as kind, as he appears. He doesn’t know what he would do if Iruka ceased to be his lighthouse.

“That isn’t true.” The tone is brisk, less friendly and Kakashi blinks, focusing again. He’d gotten lost in thought. 

“Hey,” the other man cajoles, “I was just kidding.” It’s clear he should leave it at that, even without knowing what they’re discussing, Kakashi can see the tight set to Iruka’s mouth. His displeasure. Too bad the other man doesn’t seem to know the chuunin as well as Kakashi. “But, come on, you know it’s true. That thing should have been taken out back to the woods and gutted the second--”

“Get out.” The voice isn’t raised -- possibly in deference to the thin walls -- but the tone is in deadly earnest. 

Kakashi tenses, watchful. He can be in the apartment through the open window in seconds. He won’t let that shinobi lay a hand on Iruka. 

Light eyes widen and the short, stocky man rears back, offended, before giving a braying laugh. “You gotta be fucking kidding me! You’re defending that piece of trash? He killed--”

Iruka doesn’t wait to hear more. He turns sharply and jerks the front door open. “This was a mistake. Get. Out.”

The dark-haired man doesn’t wait to be told twice. He spits out something that Kakashi can’t make out, then stomps to the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Iruka is shaking ever-so-slightly. Even from this distance, it’s obvious that his hands are unsteady. This is the most upset Kakashi has ever seen him. Who had they been talking about? Whom had Iruka been defending? A killer from the sound of it, but in a shinobi village that hardly narrowed down the list of candidates. The title could apply to anyone from a genin to the Hokage. 

Kakashi leans back, settling in again but he keeps his gaze on the man leaving the apartment building. He doesn’t want the jilted lover to keep hanging around the area. Some men just can’t read social cues. Luckily for the shinobi’s continued health, he doesn’t turn back. His angry, affronted steps ring out as he makes his way down the street. Good riddance. Iruka can do much better. Speaking of …

He sighs when he sees that Iruka has closed the thick curtains to his apartment. Show’s over. Kakashi stands smoothly and leaps down from the branch, making his slow way back to his bleak apartment, away from home.

That’s all right, he’s feeling … steady again. Iruka had helped him, as he always does. He nods at a fellow shinobi in passing but doesn’t bother to stop. Maybe it’s time he try helping the chuunin in return. He could do something nice for him maybe. Yeah. He needs to figure out a way to approach the man, needs an excuse. He shoves his hands in his pockets, lips curling in a grin. 

This is going to be fun.

**Author's Note:**

> Title bastardized from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"


End file.
